European Union leaders will hold a strategic debate on enlargement on 15 October in an effort to agree on next steps and overcome the obstacles currently slowing down the accession process for certain candidate countries, a senior European official announced in Brussels.
The debate at the EU leaders’ summit is expected to bring together the various initiatives and discussions on the future of enlargement that have taken place among member states in recent months, turning the political momentum surrounding the process into a clearer agreement on how to proceed, RTS reports.
“There is a new dynamic, but we need to overcome certain obstacles and define more precisely how to move forward, particularly regarding Ukraine, Moldova, Serbia, and the Western Balkans as a whole,” the official stated during a press briefing in Brussels.
He assessed that the political willingness among European leaders to accelerate enlargement has increased over recent months, but also pointed out the current impasses in the process, citing as an example the debate in June regarding the opening of Cluster 3 in negotiations with Serbia.
According to the official, enlargement is currently the subject of intense discussions at various levels – among groups of member states, ambassadors, and European institutions – and the aim of the October debate is to bring these discussions together and set the political direction for the continuation of the process.
At the centre of attention will also be the various proposals regarding how enlargement might function in the future.
Associate membership and privileged observers
In recent months, proposals have surfaced in European debate concerning associate membership and privileged observer status, gradual integration of candidates, as well as the potential restriction of voting rights for new members. A number of member states have opposed such distinctions, insisting that future members should not hold “second-class” status.
A further basis for the discussion is expected to be provided by the European Commission, which will present its proposal on 30 September regarding the Union’s internal preparations ahead of welcoming new members.
The European official highlighted Montenegro as a positive example of the current momentum, emphasizing that there is hope within the EU that the country could conclude accession negotiations by the end of this year.
The strategic debate on enlargement will be one of the key themes of the European political autumn, alongside negotiations on the new multi-year EU budget, defence and security, support for Ukraine, and migration.
European Council President António Costa will visit European capitals ahead of the autumn meetings to discuss these issues and the prospects of reaching an agreement with leaders of the member states.
(Nova.rs, 25.08.2026)